Router bit terminology question

[Frank Pellow]

I am trying to follow a plan for some cabinets that I found in Wood magazine and it calls for the use of a "1/2 inch Beading bit". Does the 1/2" commonly refer to the radius of the bit or to the height of the cutting surface of the bit?

[Lee DeRaud]

I am trying to follow a plan for some cabinets that I found in Wood magazine and it calls for the use of a "1/2 inch Beading bit". Does the 1/2" commonly refer to the radius of the bit or to the height of the cutting surface of the bit?A 1/2" radius bead would be huge. The ones in the Woodcraft catalog are listed by the diameter of the bead. Dunno if that qualifies as "common usage", but it sounds more likely.

(The only beading bits in Rockler's catalog look like roundover bits with undersized bearings: they're listed by radius, but they're not what I think of when somebody says "beading bit".)

[Frank Pellow]

Thanks Lee. The Rockler catalogue lists them by radius. And, they do sell a beading bit with a 1/2 inch radius.

[Allen Bookout]

Frank, I think that the plans should specify. I do show 1/2" shank bits with a radius of up to 1 1/4" and that bit has a cutting length of 1 5/8". Some brands of bits that I have information on show radius, large diam. and carbide height and others just show radius and cutting length. I am dead sure that they are talking about radius.

[Frank Pellow]

Frank, I think that the plans should specify radius or diameter.
.
I think they should too. But, they don't and I can't tell from the pictures. I will have sent asking the question.




I do show 1/2" shank bits with a radius of up to 1 1/4" and that bit has a cutting length of 1 5/8". I would say that they are talking about the radius.
Radius is also my guess, but I hoped that there was some "standard" terminolog that I could rely upon.

[Allen Bookout]

Frank, I think that the plans should specify. I do show 1/2" shank bits with a radius of up to 1 1/4" and that bit has a cutting length of 1 5/8". Some brands of bits that I have information on show radius, large diam. and carbide height and others just show radius and cutting length. I am dead sure that they are talking about radius.
Frank,

I edited my last post to what you see above as you were responding. I went through a couple of other companies information that I have and made the change. The standard used by all companies that I have bought from is radius but just wanted to make sure that something strange did not show up that could be confused.

Allen

[Lee DeRaud]

We need to get some terminology worked out here. Are we talking about this:
26356
or this:
26357
Both are by Amana and are come up on Rockler's website when you search on "beading". The top one is what I think of when someone says "beading bit", and they come in two sizes, 1/4" and 3/8" bead diameter (the 'A' dimension in the drawing). I'm sure Amana (or someone else) makes a 1/2" diameter beading bit, but a 1/2" radius beading bit would give you a bead about the size of a broom handle.

[Frank Pellow]

Lee, I was also confused by seeing two very different bit profiles called "beading" bits when I started looking at the web sites of various suppliers. Some of them have both the styles you have shown, some have only one of them.

Looking at the picture of the furniture in the article, we must be talking about the second type you have shown.

This seems to be only a slight variation of "roundover".

[Lee DeRaud]

Lee, I was also confused by seeing two very different bit profiles called "beading" bits when I started looking at the web sites of various suppliers. Some of them have both the styles you have shown, some have only one of them.

Looking at the picture of the furniture in the article, we must be talking about the second type you have shown, that is:

This seems to be only a slight variation of "roundover".Yup, that's what I thought too (in fact, I've seen them sold with an extra bearing as "roundover/beading" bits). 1/2" radius makes a lot more sense in a (pseudo-)roundover usage.